


Starlight Academy

by empress_ofbloodshed



Series: Starlight Academy [1]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 23:53:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14436879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empress_ofbloodshed/pseuds/empress_ofbloodshed
Summary: A boy who cares more deeply than anyone could guess with buried secrets about his history. A girl whose bitchy and cold exterior hides the sheer amount of how much she feels. A rich boy who doesn’t fit the stereotype at all. An artist whose inspiration comes from her dreams. The sweet girl that everyone knows and loves. A boy whose feelings are hidden away under lock and key, shadows swirling in his eyes. A popular girl who has a secret no one knows.Private schools are supposed to be better, aren’t they? Sports teams are supposed to bring everyone together, aren’t they? Sometimes the expectations don’t fit the reality. Because at Starlight Academy, everyone has a hidden agenda. Everyone watches the hockey games. Every boy wants to be them. Every girl wants to date them. But no one thinks about the players and their lives, only their fame.High school is supposed to be the best and the worst years of your life, isn’t it? At least they got one thing right.





	1. Prolouge

Feyre stepped off of the ramp from the plane to their gate, Elain and Nesta on her heels. She had her backpack, a duffel bag, and her suitcase. Her sisters had the same thing.

Just before her mother had died, she had told Feyre to get her credit card and buy three one-way tickets to Velaris, where her uncles that she had never heard about lived. The three sisters had stayed just long enough for their mother’s funeral, and then flew straight north, never once looking back.

“Feyre, are you coming?” Nesta had paused a few dozen feet in front of her, Elain beside her. Feyre grabbed her suitcase and rushed toward her older sisters, admiring the murals that spanned the walls and ceiling. It was one long, continuous night sky full of stars and galaxies. “Feyre! Stop staring.”

Elain linked her free arm in Feyre’s and practically skipped to baggage claim, where a man waved at them. The closer they got, the more Feyre could see that he was their uncle. He had the same caramel eyes as Elain and tousled chestnut hair.

“Hello, girls. I’m your uncle Rhoe. But just call me Rhoe. My husband is waiting outside for us. Do you need to grab anything else?” Rhoe glanced around, seeing three suitcases but only two girls. “Wait, aren’t there supposed to be three of you?” Elain giggled and nudged Feyre.

Nesta reappeared from the crowd holding their three checked bags. “The third one’s right here. Now can we go?”

Rhoe laughed. “I’m sure you’ll like my husband, he’s got the same attitude as you. Nesta, right?”

“Yeah, I wonder what gave it away,” she deadpanned, handing Feyre and Elain their checked bags before grabbing her suitcase and striding toward the exit.

Feyre walked with her uncle and sister out into the sunlight. A mud-splattered cobalt blue truck idled on the curb, where Nesta was throwing her bags into the bed. Feyre took Elain’s bags and tossed them in, as well as hers, before sliding into the backseat of the truck.

The driver turned around, a smile ghosting his face. “I’m Wolf, your uncle’s husband. It’s nice to meet you three.”

“It’s nice to meet you two,” Elain giggled. Then she whispered to Nesta, her tone serious, “Mum never said anything about them to us. Why?” Nesta shrugged, giving Elain’s hand a gentle squeeze before putting in her earbuds and leaning her head back, closing her eyes.

As they drove away from the airport, Feyre watched out the window. Highways turned into houses close together, slowly getting farther and farther apart. Eventually, it turned into sprawling fields and then trees towering over them.

They turned down a dirt-packed road, the truck bouncing over the uneven ground. The truck slowed to a stop in front of a massive cabin. Feyre gasped, her nose pressed into the glass. Her breath fogged up the window and she scrubbed with the sleeve of her hoodie to wipe it away.

As soon as the door opened, Feyre was the first to jump out, grabbing her bags from the bed and rushing to the door. A laugh and jingling keys came from behind her.

“Relax, Feyre,” Rhoe laughed. “You’ll see it all soon enough.”

* * *

Nesta had to admit, the view in front of her was breathtaking. Trees that towered over her, sun dappling their leaves and shining into a small clearing a little ways off. She set her bags down on the veranda and headed off toward the clearing.

What she found was a small lake with a dock and a weathered rowboat lashed to the dock. Nesta walked out onto the dock, taking off her shoes and dipping her toes in the cool water. The water was refreshing relief to the heat of late summer, early autumn.

Leaves had already begun to turn, setting the landscape aflame with the setting sun. She heard someone calling her name and ignored them. The peace and quiet was even more refreshing than the water.

Booted feet walked toward her, the dock shivering. “Nesta, there you are.” Water sloshed as someone sat down next to her. Glancing over, she saw Wolf. He took off his shoes and dipped his feet in the water, same as her.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked. “The silence is so peaceful out here.” Nesta hummed in agreement, leaning back on her hands. The pair sat in silence until nightfall, when starlight made the surface of the water gleam.

“We should be getting back.” Wolf held out a hand to help her up, which she gratefully took. Dusting herself off, she followed her uncle back toward the well-lit cabin where her sisters awaited her.

* * *

The next morning, Elain awoke with the sun to go wandering. She had always loved gardening, and there was so much open space that she figured her uncles wouldn’t mind a small flower or vegetable garden.

Downstairs, Rhoe was reading the newspaper and drinking coffee. Her sisters and Wolf were nowhere to be found. Nesta and Feyre were probably still sleeping, which was typical of them.

“Good morning, Rhoe,” Elain said cheerfully.

Her uncle jumped, glancing over the top of the paper. “Oh, you startled me. Good morning to you, too, Elain. Where are you off to?”

She was wearing a pair of dirt-stained jeans, knee-high rubber galoshes splattered with mud, a white tank top with a loose pink linen button-down, and her floppy hat to protect her delicate skin from the sun. “I was going to go look for a place to plant a garden. Out of the way, of course.”

Rhoe chuckled. “There’s some space around back and a tool shed that should have everything you’ll need. Leave the field alone, though. That’s for practice, since I’ve heard Nesta practices in the summer with a ball. But knock yourself out with gardening.”

Elain smiled sweetly. “Thank you. I shall.” His laughter followed her as she walked out the kitchen door to the side of the cabin. Following a path of circular stones, she found what he must have been talking about.

A field about the size of a small house lay behind the cabin. A small shed lay just off the field a few yards away. Elain pulled open the door and squealed. Everything she could possibly need was orderly placed inside. The scent of fresh pine drifted outwards and sun shone through the crystal-clear windows.

She thought she was in heaven, with all of these gardening supplies. Maybe life here wouldn’t be so bad. Only two more years before she graduated and could go to college to earn her journalism degree.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A boy who cares more deeply than anyone could guess with buried secrets about his history. A girl whose bitchy and cold exterior hides the sheer amount of how much she feels. A rich boy who doesn’t fit the stereotype at all. An artist whose inspiration comes from her dreams. The sweet girl that everyone knows and loves. A boy whose feelings are hidden away under lock and key, shadows swirling in his eyes. A popular girl who has a secret no one knows.
> 
> Private schools are supposed to be better, aren’t they? Sports teams are supposed to bring everyone together, aren’t they? Sometimes the expectations don’t fit the reality. Because at Starlight Academy, everyone has a hidden agenda. Everyone watches the hockey games. Every boy wants to be them. Every girl wants to date them. But no one thinks about the players and their lives, only their fame.
> 
> High school is supposed to be the best and the worst years of your life, isn’t it? At least they got one thing right.

The halls of Starlight Academy were bustling with students, a sea of moving people. Greetings were exchanged after their eight-week summer break. Which made it a new school year. Cassian’s senior year.

He heard his name shouted and then a blonde whirlwind crashed into him. Wrapping his arms around her, he squeezed and lifted her off her feet before gently setting her back down.

“Hey, Mor,” he said softly. She pulled back, out of his arms. Amren was standing to the side, arms crossed and silver eyes flaring with annoyance. “Demon-witch.” The small girl smirked and snapped at the air. Cassian flinched back and she threw her head back, cackling. Mor was trying to hide a smile, failing.

“Amren, are you torturing Cassian again?” Rhysand’s voice rang through the crowded halls and a path opened for him through the students. Azriel followed slightly behind, to Rhys’s left. When the two arrived, Amren smiled her cheshire smile and stalked off, melding in with the crowd. Even if they all gave her a foot between them and her.

Cassian walked over to Rhys and Azriel, throwing his arms over their shoulders so that he was the middle link. “Senior year. Let the havoc begin.” His brothers, in the sense that all bastards were, laughed and strode down the hall.

* * *

 

The crowd parted for the trio. Their hockey captain, the assistant captain, and the rich boy who was a key player on the team. Who wouldn’t part for them? They were royalty.

Mor tagged along beside her cousin and his friends until she arrived at her homeroom, waving them goodbye. As she sauntered inside, heading directly toward her seat next to Andromache, she heard her name being called.

Turning around to look, she saw Headmaster Helion. And beside him, three girls. One was glaring at everything, a second was smiling shyly, and the third focused on the floor.

“Miss Morrigan, will you please show these three girls to their homerooms?” Helion grinned, his white teeth bright against his tan skin. “Thank you.” With that, he strode out of the room.

Everyone in her homeroom, except the new girls, watched the headmaster leave, staring at the powerful thighs enhanced by too-tight slacks. Andromache appeared at Mor’s side, sighing at the retreating figure.

“Why can’t he be our age?” she muttered. Followed by, “I would bang that.” Mor choked and elbowed her best friend. Andi grinned. “You would too, don’t deny it.”

“Shut up, girl!” Dropping her voice to a whisper, Mor said, “Wouldn’t everyone in this school though, teachers included?” Andromache laughed, her green eyes crinkling and those full lips pulling into a smile. Mor’s breath caught and Andi caught Mor staring at her lips. She winked, grinning.

A cough interrupted the two, coming from one of the three girls. Mor and Andromache turned to see the tallest glaring with her arms crossed. Her best friend loosed a breath, heading back to her seat with a passing whisper of good luck. Mor glared in Andi’s direction before turning back to the girls.

She smiled, walking toward them and linking her arms with the two on the right before pulling them into the nearly-empty halls. The tallest was left to follow behind.

“I’m Mor, and welcome to Starlight Academy, home of the three-time champions, the Wolves. As you can tell, hockey–”

“Cut the bullshit and just take us to our homerooms,” the tall one snarled, cutting Mor off. Before she could speak again, the girl to her right spoke.

“Nesta, relax. Feyre and I know you’re anxious to try out for the hockey team. So don’t take it out on Mor, she’s only being nice.”

A heavy sigh loosed from Nesta, the bitchy one in Mor’s opinion, and her shoulders relaxed an inch. “I’m sorry, Elain.”

Mor smiled. “If that’s over, shall we continue?” Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

* * *

 

After Mor dropped Elain off at her homeroom, she said her goodbyes to her sisters and entered the room. The teacher was perched on his desk, chatting with a student.

Elain walked up to him, smiling. But her grip on her backpack strap showed her nerves as she held it tightly. The girl who had talking to the teacher finished their conversation and walked to the back of the room, flopping down at a table.

“Hello. You must be Elain Archeron, correct?” Elain nodded. “Very good. I’m the English teacher, Professor Thesan. It’s nice to meet you.” Her professor held out his hand and she shook it, her hand slightly clammy.

Professor Thesan stood up, clapping to get the attention of the room. “Children, this is Elain Archeron. She just moved here. Excuse me for interrupting your riveting conversation with Miss Vassa, Mr. Vanserra, but will you please show this sweet girl to her classes?”

Elain blushed, looking at her feet. The class turned back to whatever they were doing before their professor had made the announcement. She headed over to where he was sitting, standing behind a chair awkwardly.

He looked up at her, one eye russett and one gold. “You can sit down, you know. We’re not going to bite.” The girl at his right laughed, knocking her shoulder with his and he flashed her a grin. “I’m Lucien and this is Vassa. We run the school newspaper, the Suriel.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Elain told them, pulling out a chair and sitting down. The piece of paper that the blonde had given her with her schedule was crinkled as she laid it on the table. She pushed it over toward the pair, of whom Lucien looked at it.

“Look, Vassa. We all have a lot of the same classes together.” Lucien pushed a stray strand of flaming hair behind his ear. He was handsome, Elain noted. More attractive than her ex, Graysen, who she refused to think about. By a long shot. The flaming hair, mismatched eyes, sun-kissed skin, and lean grace all spoke to her, a faint tug in his direction.

The bell rang and she gathered her things, following Lucien and Vassa to her first class. In the halls, students chattered and talked. Elain was knocked to the ground by a student rudely pushing past. A hand was offered to help her up. She took it, being gently pulled to her feet.

Her first glance at whoever had helped her up made her blush. If Lucien was attractive, than the young man in front of her was devastatingly gorgeous. In a rugged kind of way. The way his dark hair tumbled over his brow, his hazel eyes, the full lips, and the sharp cheekbones.

“Thank you,” Elain said, smiling shyly. Her eyes flicked back up to her mystery savior not of her volition.

A smile ghosted his lips and he let go of her hand. “You’re welcome. I’m Azriel.” Before she could reply, Lucien and Vassa doubled back to get her and pull her toward their first class of the day.

Elain glanced back over her shoulder, seeing Azriel watching her leave with a forlorn expression, standing alone in a crashing sea of people.

* * *

 

“So, how are you liking Starlight so far?” Mor’s voice chimed through Nesta’s thoughts. “I heard that you play hockey. If you want, you can meet the captain of the ice hockey team now.”

The other girl kept on chattering and Nesta nodded, baffled. There wasn’t a women’s ice hockey team at this private school? Tuning Mor out, Nesta brought up memories of her previous hockey team and winning the regional championship. They would have gone to States and Nationals, had the team not fallen apart after … everything.

So lost in her thoughts, she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings and collided with another student, stumbling backward before hands on her waist steadied her.

“Woah, there, sweetheart.”

Focusing on the boy who she ran into and who caught her, Nesta glared. “Get your hands off me,” she snapped, straightening her uniform. He wasn’t hard on the eyes, she noticed. Warm honey-brown eyes, a uniform that was the smallest bit too tight on his muscled form, dark hair pulled up into a loose bun … she forced herself to stop admiring him.

He stepped back, hands up and a cocky grin on his face. “Alright, sweetheart. I’m–” His voice was rich, sliding over her body like quicksilver; Nesta shivered.

The boy was about to introduce himself, interrupted by Mor running up and giving him a hug. His face lit up with a smile and Nesta turned away, disgusted.

“Nesta, this is Cassian. Captain of the hockey team here at Starlight Academy. I figured if you want to join the team, then you two should probably get acquainted sooner rather than later.” Mor’s words intrigued Nesta, enough so that she turned back around.

Cassian was gazing at her, his eyes swirling with hidden questions. “Do you play?” he asked Nesta.

She raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking over his body, once, twice. Then her stormy blue-grey eyes met his hazel ones. Nesta shrugged. “If I did?”

He walked over to Nesta and looked her up and down, circling her. “There just happens to be a spot open, and we could use a player who’s … different, better.”

Nesta stiffened and her breathing hitched. She hadn’t had a boy this close to her since, well, Tomas and what he tried to do. There were plenty of reasons why she wanted to get out of her small town where everyone knew everyone and everything. That was one of them. Tomas Mandray came from a well-off family. But behind closed doors, he stood aside and did nothing while his father beat his little sister and mother.

Cassian leaned over and whispered in her ear his number, followed by, “Text me your decision,” snapping her back to reality. Her mind committed his number to memory without permission.

A sharp crack broke through the noise of the busy hallway as Nesta slapped him and he stepped back, holding a hand over his cheek. Eyes narrowed in anger, she glared daggers at Cassian and mentally cursed herself as her cheeks flushed.

“Come join the team for practice sometime, sweetheart. We’ll see how good you really are,” he purred, leaning toward her. Just before she could slap him a second time, he caught her hand and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before turning on his heel.

“See you later, Nes!” he called out as he strode off, folding into the sea of students heading to their classes. Nesta flipped him off, which he somehow saw and laughed. Cassian’s laugh was molten chocolate, warming a sliver of her frozen heart.

Mor was standing to the side, grinning wide. Nesta snarled at her, stalking off to find her homeroom on her own. Finding the classroom was her first priority. Cassian and the hockey team could be dealt with later.


End file.
